Whitehead steamship duck
| Whitehead steamship duck | ||||||||||||
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.PNG)
Whitehead steamship duck |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tachyeres leucocephalus | ||||||||||||
| Humphrey & Thompson , 1981 |
The white-headed steamship duck ( Tachyeres leucocephalus ) is a flightless species of bird from the family of ducks (Anatidae) and belongs to the subfamily of demi-geese ( Tadorninae ). It belongs to the genus Tachyeres . The species was not scientifically described until 1981 and thus as the last of the steamship ducks to date.
Occurrence
The flightless whitehead steamship duck is endemic to the south coast of the Chubut province in Argentina . It can be found all year round at sea and breeds on inaccessible islands off the coast. Outside the breeding season, the species undertakes short-distance migrations and is then also sighted on the northern coast of the province of Santa Cruz .
Appearance
Tachyeres leucocephalus reaches a body length of 61 to 74 cm and a weight of 2.95 to 3.8 kg. In contrast to the other species of steamboat ducks, the male has very light plumage on the head. In contrast, the body is darkly feathered, only the belly is white, the wings have a white mirror. The female is feathered dark brown on the head, a narrow white line runs crescent-shaped from the eye along the neck to the chest.
Way of life
The brood takes place between October and February, i.e. in the spring and summer of the southern hemisphere. The species usually breeds in single pairs, although there are also breeding colonies on some offshore islands. The nest is always close to the water and is preferably placed in the protection of dense vegetation.
Food is mainly consumed in the form of marine crustaceans and mollusks , which are almost exclusively captured by diving.
swell
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliot, Jordi Sargatal : Handbook of the birds of the world. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 1992, ISBN 84-87334-10-5 .
Web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings on Tachyeres leucocephalus in the Internet Bird Collection
- Tachyeres leucocephalus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2013.